Air-compressor.



C. L. BHALEY.

AIR COMPRESSOR APPLICATION mu) SEPT.9. 191s.

Patented July 10, 1918.

CHARLES L. BRALEY INVENTOR' ATTORWE KS1 C. L. BRALEY. AIR COMPRESSOR. APPUCATION FILED SEPT. 9. IQIE.

Patented July 16, 1918 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CHARLES L. BRALEY lQ-LVENTOR Vii-W @A Avon/wins.

C. L. BHALEY.

AIR COMPRESSOR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-$1916.

1 ,272,61 1. Patented July 16, 1918.

3 SHEETS SHEET 3.

d CHARLES LPBRALEY awe/won ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES L. BRALEY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A. CORPORATION OF OHIO.

AIR'COMPRESSOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1918.

Application filed September 9, 1916. Serial No. 119,289.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. BRALEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Compressors, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to air compressors. The object of-the invention is to provide an automatic air compressor of simple form having a large capacity for its size and provided with improved cooling mechanism. A further objectof the invention is to pro vide an air compressor suitable for a wide variety of uses, which is Wholly self-con tained, and which embodies in a unit structure all the parts necessary to create and maintain a supply of compressed air at any desired pressure without attention by the operator.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part will appear more in detaifhereinafter.

The invention comprises the air compressor hereinafter described and claimed.

n the drawings, which represent one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly broken out and in section to show the interior mechanism; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan view; Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly broken out and in section, of a motor controlling switch F' view thereof; and 6 is a detail view, correspondin to Fig. 2 and on a larger scale, of an air valve.

The air compressor shown in the drawings com rises a suitable body or base, shown as a ho low metal casting 1 provided with slotted or perforated ears 2 for attachment to any sultable support. In said base is a large chamber forming a storage reservoir for the co' pressed air. The base may be of any suitable shape but, as shown in the drawings, is rectangular in plan view and in one corner is provided with an inner wall 4, which, together with the outer wall 5, forms ahollow jacket within whic is located the compressor cylinder 6, wh' h is a separate member having its lower en reduced, as at 7, and threaded into the bottom of the jacket. In the lower end of the cylinder is an air inlet val se shown in detail in 5 is a bottom plan,

Fig. 6 and comprising a valve member 8 seating outwardly from the chamber 3 and having a stem 9 sliding in a central opening in a spider 10 threaded into the cylinder casting, said valve being held to its seat by a compression spring 11 located between the spider 10 and valve member. In the cylinder chamber 12 is a pump piston 13, comprising a solid body having upwardly extending cars 14 to receive a pivot pin 15 connecting said piston to the connecting rod 16. The piston is also provided with an air valve, comprising a valve member 17 seating outwardly from the cylinder chamber and having a longitudinally grooved stem 18 sliding in a longitudinal opening of the piston, said opening communicating with the atmosphere on the outer face of the piston. The valve stem is provided at its outer end with a head 19 and is held to its seat by a compression spring 20 located between the outer face of the piston and the head 19.

The casing or body 1 of the compressor is provided with an upwardly extending portion 21 which not only increases the capacity of the reservoir 3, but whose walls form a support for the operating mechanism. The compressor is driven in any suitable'manner, such as by an electric motor 22 fastened to the casing, and whose shaft is coupled to a driving shaft 23 journaled in the casing extension 21, said she ft being provided with a worm 24 driving a worm gear 25 on a transverse shaft 26 whose outer end is provided with an eccentric pin 27 for operating the connectin rod 16 to reciprocate the pump piston in its cylinder. The worm and worm gear described are preferably inclosed by a cover 28, which protects the gearing and prevents/accidents.

Between the outer surface of the pump cylinder and the surrounding jacket 4, 5 is a hollow space which is utilized for cooling the pump by circulating air therethrough. As shown, this space is divided into one or more helically disposed passages 29 by a helical rib or vane 30, which may be integral with or secured either to th jacket, 4, 5 or the cylinder 6' and is shown. as,an integral part of the cylinder. The helical rib assists in conducting the heat away from the cylinder and radiating it to' the air circulated through the helical passage 29. The outer end of the rib terminates in a circular plate which covers the chamber around the piston but which plate is .rovided with a series of 0 enings 31 throug which air is discharged om the cooling passages to the atmosphere. The other end of the cooling passage, at the lower end of the cylinder, communicates with an airinlet 32 at one end of a conduit 33 communicating with a suitable air pump 34 opening at 35 to the atmosphere. Said air pump may be of any suitable type, such as a fan or blower, and its shaft 36 is driven by the same motor that operates the compressor, being provided with a gear 37 driven by a gear 38 on the worm shaft 23.

Preferably, suitable means is provided for automatically controlling the pump operating device, such as the electric motor, so as to automatically maintain any desired degree of pressure in the reservoir without special attention by the operator. As shown, the leads39 of the motor circuit are connected to an electric switch shown in detail in Figs. t and 5. Said switch comprises a block or body 40 of insulating material in which are embedded two contact members ll 11.. ing terminal screws 42 to which the leads are connected. Said body is also provided with a longitudinal opening 43 to receive a conducting sleeve 44, which is frictionally, held, pinned or otherwise secured to move with an operating rod 45 slidably mounted in said bore and normally held in the position shown in Fig. 4 by a compression spring 46. In this position the conducting sleevellbridges the go. between the two contact members 41 and coses the motor circuit. so that the pump is operating. When the conducting sleeve is moved upwardly, the circuit across the conducting members 41 is broken and the motor stops. The operating rod 45 is lifted automatically by the pressure in the reservoir 3 which, at one side, communicates with a port 47 leading to the under face of a small piston 48 sliding in a chamber 49 of a larger diameter than the port 47 and attached to a stem 50 sliding in a guiding plug 51 threaded into the casing and which stem extends above said plug and lies just below the operating rod 45,-as shown in Fig. 2. The piston 48 is held to its seat at the bottom of the chamber 49, as shown in Fig. 2, by a compression spring 52, and 'in said position the stem 50 is out of contact with the operating rod 45 and the electric switch is closed. When the pressure in chamber 3 reaches the desired maximum it is sutlicient to lift the piston-48 from its seat against the ressure of spring 52, and as soon as sai piston rises from its seat, the pressure in the reservoir becomes effective over the entire or larger bottom area of the piston, and there- 'fore snaps the iston upwardly with sutiicicnt force to raise the operatin rod 4:") and open the motor switch. The piston 48 will remain in its upper position, with the motor switch open, until the pressure in the reservoir 3 drops to the minimum, whereupon spring 52 returns the piston to its seat and allows the motor switch to close. The plug 51 serves as an adjustment for the pressure to be maintained in the reservoir. By screwing said plug inwardly the tension of the spring 52 is increased and a greater pressure is required to lift the piston and open the switch. The plug 51 may be held in its adjusted position in. any suitable manner, as by the set screw 53.

-The compressor described is of simple form and is designed to maintain any desired degree of compression in its reservoir without attention by the operator. It has a large capacity for its size and has maximum efliciency due to the cooling arrangement described. By circulating air around the cylinder heat radiated rapidly to the atmosphere and the piston is not liable to bind in the cylinder.

The compressor may be used for any desired purpose, but is adapted more particu-- larly for operating small machines driven or controlled by compressed air.. By utilizing one compressor for operating one or two of said machines efiicienc is increased by doing away with the consi erable loss of air entailed when a large number of machines are driven by air pressure supplied through a pipe line from a single large compressor.

What I claim is 1. An air compressor, comprising a cylinder having a hollow wall provided with a passage t erethrough open to the atmosphere at one end, motor means, a piston driven thereby and operating in said cylinder, means operated by said motor means for circulating air through said passa e to the atmosphere, and means for supp ying air to said cylinder directly from .the at! lnosphere.

2. An air compressor, comprising a cylinder having a holl w wall provided with, a tortuous passage t erethrough open at one Pi l end to the atmosphere, a valvein. one end of said cylinder, a piston, a va-lve therein, means for reciprocating said piston. and

ineans for circulating air through said passage to the atmosphere.

3. An air compressor, comprising acylinder havinga hollow wall provided with a tortuous :passage therethrough open at one end to the atmosphere, a valve in one end of said cylinder, a piston, a valve therein, means for reciprocating said piston. and an air pump operated by said piston reciprocating means for circulating air through said passage to the atmosphere.

4. An air compressor, comprising a cylinder havin a hollow wall forming a cooling space. a. elical rib or vane in said space forming 0, helical passage thercthrcugh, said lltlrhlfl' at one end being. open to the atnuispln'li'. a piston working in said cylinder. and means for circulating air through -aid passage to the atmosphere .3. An air-.rompressor. comprising a casing forming a reservoir for air. part of said easing being formed to provide a jacket. a rylinder inclosed within said jacket and spaced therefrom, a valve controlling the flow of air from said cylinder to said reservoir, a piston working in said cylinder, and means for circulating air through the space between said cylinder and jacket.

6. An air compressor, comprising a casing forming a reservoir for air and provided with an inner wall forming a jacket. :1 cylinder inclose'd in said jacket and spaced therefrom. a helical rib or vane in the spare between said cylinder aml jacket forming a helical passage therchetween. said passage at one end being open to the atmosphere. a piston working in said cylinder. and means for circulating air through said passage to the atmosphere.

7. An air compressor. comprising a hollow casing forming a reservoir for air. a pump for supplying air to said reservoir. a motor operating said pump, a fan driven by said motor for circulating cooling air around said pump, a switch controlling said motor, and a piston subject on one side to the pressure in said reservoir and arranged when said pressure reaches a maximum to more outwardly aml open said switch.

8. An air compressor. eompri ing a hollow casing forming a reservoir for air. a. pump for supplying air to said l'lht'lHiii. a motor operating said pump. a tan drii'en |i v said motor for circulating: cooling air around said pump. a switrh controlling said motor. anda piston hlllljt'ti on one side to the m sure in said resenoir and on its opposite side to the pressure of a spring aml arranged when said l't'htl'tflll' pressure reaches a maximum to more outwardly and open said switch.

9. An air ((Hl||)l(* s'ul. eomprisin a hol low easing forming a reservoir for air. a pump for l|ppl \il|;1air to said reservoir. a motor operating aid pump. a tan driven by said innit)! for eireulating cooling: airaround said pump. a switeh controlling said motor, a |H ltilt llllltt'l tlll one ide to the pressure in aid reservoir and on its opposite side to the |H'(\\lll'kf of a spring. and arranged when said reservoir pressure reaches a maximum to more outwardly and open said switch. and means for adjusting the pressi lfiiqfaif said spring. V

In testimony whereof I allix my signa tgre.

CHARLES L. BRALEI.

\Vitnesses Jos. ill. Sricmacn, R. L. Mexxicli. 

